São Paulo – The governments of Qatar and Brazil are going to sign agreements during the visit that the emir of the Arab country, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, will pay to Brasília (the Brazilian capital) next Wednesday (20th). According to information supplied by the Brazilian foreign office (Itamaraty), will be signed for bilateral political consultation, economic and trade cooperation, visa exemption, air transport, and to prevent double taxing on airlines that may eventually operate between the two countries.
The emir will arrive in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, after visiting Argentina, and on Wednesday he will meet with the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Itamaraty Palace (the seat of the government), in Brasília. After the meeting, the signing of the agreements and luncheon, the Qatari head of state will leave for Costa Rica.
According to Brazilian diplomatic sources, Thani’s visit shows that a process of establishment of closer ties is underway with Arab nations, not only for Brazil, but also for other Latin American countries. The emir will also go to Venezuela.
Doha, the capital of Qatar, hosted the 2nd Summit of South American-Arab Countries (Aspa), which brought leaders from the two regions together last year. The first edition took place in Brazil, in 2005. The emir attended the summit in Brazil.
For some time now, Qatar is seeking to become a hub for large international events in the political, economical, sports and cultural spheres. The main example of that was the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting held in the country in 2001, which launched the still not concluded Doha Round.
Investment
To sources at the Brazilian foreign office, the emir’s visit also shows that Qatar is opening its eyes to investment opportunities in Brazil. He will travel accompanied by the prime minister, Hamad Bin Jassem Al Thani, who intends to meet with representatives of large Brazilian companies in order to address the matter.
Qatar is one of six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which also comprises Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman. The bloc is negotiating a free trade agreement with the Mercosur, a matter that should be a topic of the conversation between the emir and president Lula.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
